


My Only Sunshine

by kelseyfitzherbert



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Father-Daughter Relationship, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 16:53:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21122099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelseyfitzherbert/pseuds/kelseyfitzherbert
Summary: a series of short drabbles about eugene raising his daughter on his own after rapunzel has died.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this was based on a drabble request i had gotten on tumblr, and ive managed to expand on it a bit. there's not really a flow to the story, just little bits and pieces of eugene and claire's lives as she grows up without her mom. sad and fluffy stuff, my favorite. ;)

There were voices around him. So many voices. Some were yelling, barking out orders, while the others stood and whispered. He could hear sobbing. A lot of sobbing. 

But he couldn’t get his feet to move. He couldn’t get his eyes to gaze away, and he couldn’t get himself to drop her limp hand from his.

She looked so peaceful. The features of her face were soft and gentle, as if she was just sleeping. That’s all she was doing. Sleeping. She was sleeping.

“Eugene,” he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was large and heavy and he just wanted it to go away. “Eugene. Son. There was nothing they could -”

He heard the Queen choke back a sob as she scurried from the room, her heels tapping against the stone floors. And he felt the hand pull away from his shoulder as the King followed after her.

He wanted the noise to stop. He wanted complete silence. He wanted to hear her heart beating and maybe if everyone else would just shut up for a second, he could hear it and he would know that his entire life hadn’t just fallen apart right before his eyes.

He held her hand up to his lips, pressing kisses to every single knuckle. She loved when he did that. His goatee would tickle her skin and she’d always giggle and smile that beautiful smile. He watched her face, waiting for that smile to reappear. But it didn’t. You couldn’t smile when you were dead.

A sound escaped his throat and he dropped his head, pressing his forehead to hers. She loved when he did this. She always rubbed her tiny nose against his before pressing a kiss to his lips.

But she didn’t stir. She didn’t nuzzle her nose against his. She didn’t kiss him.

“Please kiss me back,” he choked out, moving to press his face into the crook of her neck. “Please don’t go. Rapunzel, please wake up. Please. I can’t do this without you. I love you. Please. Wake up. ”

He heard the shrill cry of a baby, and his heart remembered why they were in this position in the first place. He managed to pull his head up to see a nurse standing there with a bundle in her arms. Part of him didn’t want to see this child; their child. The reason that his wife was lying on a bed without a heartbeat.

She had been so excited. He remembered the day they found out. She bounced off the walls, talking about all the things she’d teach this baby and how loving of a mother she’d be. She’d talk to them every day; explaining her stories and her kingdom and all her favorite things in it. And she’d always tell them how amazing of a father their father was going to be, and since they both had bad childhoods, the two of them would give this child the best childhood of all.

And now she was gone, and he had to figure this out alone. He had no idea how to be a parent! How could you become a parent when you hadn’t had your own to begin with?

But he had to do this. He had to push on for her, because that’s what she would’ve wanted. This was the only piece of Rapunzel he had left.

He stood up and gathered the bundle in his arms, trying to not focus on how he wasn’t holding Rapunzel’s hand anymore. He peered down at the child, quiet now that she was in his arms, gazing back up at him with the biggest green eyes he had ever seen in his entire life.

She looked just like her. It was like he was holding a spitting image of her in his arms. She had soft brown hair, and even had her little nose. Seeing her was like somebody had jump started his heart, and he could feel himself breathing again. He cried, but for a different reason. And he had the most overwhelming feeling to protect this little girl with everything he had. This had become his purpose in life. This little girl, his little girl, had become his purpose. She was his reason to keep going.

"Claire," he whispered, gazing down at her. All the sounds around him went quiet; his heart beat slowed. All he saw was her, and all she saw was him. 

"I'll protect you. I promise."


	2. bubble baths & bedtime stories

“You are my…?”

“Sunshine!” 

“My only…?”

“Sunshine, Daddy! I know dis song. You always make me sing da same parts!”

Her voice echoed through the empty castle walls, her giggle bouncing off the walls. Wrapped in a towel, wet hair bouncing and dripping on the stone floors, he held her close in his arms as they made their way back to their room to get ready for bed after taking an after dinner swim in the royal pool. It was one of Eugene’s favorite things to do, and he was glad his daughter enjoyed it just as much. Making her happy was his favorite thing in the world. Seeing her playing and splashing made all the hard parts of the last four years worth it. 

It was hard after Rapunzel had died. As much as he wanted to curl into a ball and never see the light of day again, he had to push on for his daughter; their daughter. If it wasn’t for her, for his Claire, his new ray of sunshine, he wasn’t sure he would’ve ever left his room. Claire saved his life, he was sure of it. She gave him purpose again. 

The two were quite a pair. Eugene never let her go, becoming almost possessive over her in the most unpossessive way possible. She had her own room, but she preferred to sleep next to him. He held her whenever he could, carried her on his shoulders or back or in his arms on their way to dinner or playdates, and he never went away and needed a nanny to do his job as a father. If he had to do something, Claire came with. She became his world; his single purpose and focus in life. She was his best friend and he loved watching her grow up so much.

He wasn’t sure he was ready to become a father, but he molded to the role well. He had to, since his better half wasn’t here to help him. After she died, he was surprised that the years seemed to pass quicker. Not fast, though, and not at all easily, either. It was hard. When Claire wouldn’t stop crying and he couldn’t figure out what to do and he just wished she was there to help him; to hold her and tell her it would be alright. Whenever she asked about her mother, or when she had that gleam in her eye just like Rapunzel had. It hurt. He knew she would’ve loved Claire so much and it gutted him to know she never even got to hold her. It just wasn’t fair. 

But Eugene vowed to make up for it; to hold her for Rapunzel. To love her twice as much as he thought he could. To be the parent to Claire that neither he nor Rapunzel had growing up. 

“Can we put bubbles in the bath please?” Claire asked as he was running the water back in his washroom. He looked over at her and smiled wide, looking so cute standing there in an oversized, fluffy towel, hair sticking out all over the place, green eyes wide. How could he ever say no to her? 

“I think we can add some bubbles to it,” he winked, earning a little hop from her while he reached for the vial. “Not too much, though. Remember the last time we put too much in?”

“It was all over the floor!” She laughed, spinning around with her hands above her head. “It was a mess. Aunt Cass was not happy she had to clean it up.” 

Eugene laughed, shutting off the water, watching the bubbles form on the surface. “Yeah, Aunt Cass wasn’t happy. But that’s okay. She had fun playing swords with you later.” 

He went to take her towel and lift her into the bath, listening to her talk on. “Oooh, I want to play swords again. Can I play swords tonight? Can we go find Aunt Cass?”

“Not tonight, Claire-bear,” he said, setting her down and kneeling beside the tub. He went to work wetting down her hair. “Tomorrow. We’ll go find her. I’m sure she’d love to.” 

He watched her quietly as she retreated into her own mind, humming to herself while her hands played in the bubbles forming around her, mesmerized by the way they could shape and mold to whatever she wanted them to be. It was moments like this that felt so bittersweet. He loved watching her learn and discover, but he was sad Rapunzel wasn’t here with them. She would be so happy to teach and learn beside her, watching her smile and soar. 

But this is how it had to be, and as much as it hurt, he’d come to peace with it. Because at least he had Claire. At least he could see her smile and hold her tight and know that someone loved him just as much as he loved them. And he knew that was what Rapunzel would’ve wanted.

He saw Rapunzel in everything she did. She looked just like her, right down to her nose. She had a thirst for adventure and fun, and she’d even started to take up painting after seeing all the paintings on the wall and hearing all the stories about them. She had her mother’s spirit and it made Rapunzel not feel so far away. 

Once she was done, he dried her off and got ready for bed. They brushed their teeth together, smiling into the mirror as he reminded her how to do it right. He brushed the knots out of her hair, and he let her do the same to him. Their normal routine. Just the two of them. He found comfort in the pattern. He loved her so much. 

She jumped into the bed, burying herself in the big blankets while he went to put the fireplace out for the night. He loved watching her haul herself onto the bed that was nearly as tall as she was. He always told her he’d help her, but she would say she didn’t need help and do it anyway. “You’re just like your momma,” he’d say. And she’d smile big because she always said she wanted to be just like her momma.

Eugene talked about Rapunzel a lot to Claire. He made a point to. He wanted her to know her mother; to picture her best she could. She didn’t exactly understand what happened, but she knew that she’d gotten sick and wasn’t around anymore. But she lived on through her journal and drawings to Claire. She loved going through her journal, pointing to the pages and asking Eugene to tell her stories. Eugene had even given her her own blank journal to draw in, because she wanted to paint like her momma. That in itself got him choked up every time because he knew Rapunzel would absolutely love that her child was just like she was. Keeping Rapunzel’s memory alive for Claire to grow up with was one of the most important things to him. 

He crawled into bed next to her, reaching into his bedside drawer and grabbing the journal. “Where’d we leave off last night?”

“Uhmmmmmmm,” she drew the word out, thinking hard and cuddling into his side, dragging her stuffed teddy bear next to her. “You told me about when you and momma were playing in da snow and you made as snowman!” 

He flipped through the pages, finding a new story to tell this time. The colors on the pages soothed rather than hurt, now. It was hard to open the journal before, but now? Now it was a way to keep Rapunzel close; a way for both of them to tell their daughter a bedtime story. 

He went off on a thrilling tale about the time she had given him the world’s worst haircut, and Claire thought that was the funniest thing she’d ever heard, even as sleep started to weigh her down. Her laugh was small, but it was still there. 

Eventually, he could tell she was dozing, so he stopped his story, put the journal away and held her close. 

“You give the best snuggles, you know that?” He murmured quietly, closing his eyes. Claire’s voice was quiet. 

“You do too, Daddy.” 

He reached up, booping his finger against her nose, a thing they had been doing since she was little. “I love you, Clairebear. Goodnight.” 

Sleep was creeping up on his daughter fast, but she wasn’t going to leave him hanging. She lifted a small hand and did the same to his nose, except it was more of a drag than a poke because sleep was closing in. “Ni’, Daddy. Love you, too.” 

Sure, things were hard without Rapunzel, but he was managing. They were managing. And besides, with her paintings on the walls, and her spirit in Claire, she was never really that far away.


	3. talk to her, eugene

“I just don’t know what to do.” 

It was two in the morning and Claire wouldn’t stop crying. It had been like this for a week straight and he had no idea what else to do. He tried feeding her, he tried rocking her and taking her for a walk and singing to her but it wasn’t working. He had no idea how to do this and he knew, he knew if Rapunzel would’ve been here she would’ve been able to figure this out. 

And then that thought made it even worse, and he wanted to cry along with her. 

“Eugene, it happens,” Arianna’s voice was quiet from her place sitting on the edge of his bed. She had heard Claire crying and came to help when it didn’t stop. “This is part of having a child.”

“I get that,” he said quietly, near tears as he rocked her. “Claire, sweetie. Come on. Everything’s okay. I don’t know what you want but everything’s okay.” 

It wasn’t working. She kept crying. She always kept crying. 

“I don’t understand it, your majesty,” he looked up at her, choking up. “I can’t do this without her.” 

She gave him a sad smile, getting to her feet and wrapping her arms around the two of them. Eugene didn’t realize just how much he needed the comfort and pushed into her embrace, making sure to keep Claire comfortable against him. 

“You can, Eugene,” she said quietly, not letting go. “It’s a lot harder for you but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. She would be telling you the exact same thing. It’s an adjustment for both of you. She lost the only familiar thing in her little life, so she’s adjusting, too. Be patient with her, and with yourself.” 

He nodded silently, pulling away and looking at his daughter in his arms. He knew this was going to be hard but he didn’t realize just how hard it was going to be. 

“Try talking to her. Tell her a story,” she suggested, wiping away tears off her little cheeks. “You’re wonderful at telling stories. Tell her one about you and Rapunzel. Let her get used to your voice and find comfort in it. Rapunzel talked to her while she was in there. She’s just got to get used to your voice.” 

She was probably right. Rapunzel used to tell her stories all the time while she was pregnant with her. She explained everything she was doing constantly to her tummy, whether it was describing the color of the sky or the way that she was painting a picture. Maybe he needed to start doing the same thing. 

He took the fussy child over to the rocking chair and sat down, rocking her softly. And he talked to her. He told her about how he met Rapunzel, how they saw the lanterns and the way the light reflected off Rapunzel’s eyes and how he’d never seen someone so beautiful and how Claire looked just like her. He talked and talked until she was quiet, looking up at him, trying to follow every word as much as a newborn could. 

He wasn’t sure when the Queen had slipped out, but he just kept talking. He told her his fears and his dreams, the way he was terrified he wasn’t good enough for her and would let her down. 

“I just hope I can be everything you need me to be,” he murmured, running a thumb along her cheek as she finally drifted to sleep. Her eyes were closing slowly, and Eugene couldn’t help but take a deep, relaxing breath, feeling proud of himself. He’d gotten over one of who knows how many hurdles they’ll face together. 

“We’ve got this,” he said, holding her close and closing his own eyes. “It’s going to be hard but we’ve got this, Clairebear.”


	4. we both love you so much

“Can believe it, Eugene?! A baby!” 

He was pretty sure he’d never seen her so excited before. She’d be bouncing off the walls if she could, but it was late and people were sleeping and she had to stay quiet. 

“I know,” he laughed from his place on the bed, flipping through a book she had brought from the library about parenting. It was old and stuffy and he wasn’t really going to take any of these ideas to heart but she had brought this (and sixteen others) after she had found out this afternoon. “That’s what happens when we-”

“Yeah, yeah. I know that but still!” She laughed, jumping onto the bed, then stopping and putting her hand to her stomach. “Sorry, baby. Hope I didn’t scare you!” 

Something about the way she looked at that moment, hand on her stomach, talking to their future child flipped something inside him and he could feel a lump in his throat. Was he getting choked up over this? Just a few hours ago he was royally freaking out. 

“And when are you due again?” He asked, setting the book down and turning down her side of the covers, hoping to convince her to come lay down and relax before she worked herself into a frenzy at eleven in the evening when she should’ve been going to bed. She smiled wide at him, crawling next to him and pulling the blankets up to her chin. 

“In the summer! Middle of summer. The hottest time of the year but...that’s okay! We’ve got a while until then,” she snuggled into his side, hand on her flat stomach. The doctor said it would be awhile until she started showing, but just knowing that something was there gave her butterflies. 

“I’ll fan you off,” he laughed, blowing out the candle and snuggling into bed. His hand covered her own and she sighed a dreamy sigh. 

“Goodnight, Sunshine,” he murmured, kissing her temple and closing his eyes. 

“Goodnight, Eugene,” she said quietly. After a moment, her voice was quiet. “And goodnight, baby. We both love you so much.” 

~~~~

“You hear that, baby? That’s the beach!” 

Bare feet sunk into warm sand as they walked along the shore. One hand held Eugene’s tightly while the other rested on her stomach, now big enough that she couldn’t see her toes anymore. 

“The beach is beautiful and warm,” she continued on, explaining everything she was seeing and feeling. “The wind that comes off the water is the best feeling in the world. Sometimes you can feel it from our balcony, but only on super windy days. But you can’t hear the water from there, and that’s the best part about the beach. Just listen!” 

Eugene loved the way she talked to their baby. He’d find her lost in a story, going on and on like the baby was right there in front of her, answering and nodding along. It really was the sweetest thing. 

His gaze was across the water at a passing ship when he heard her gasp. He turned to her, heart falling, fear flooding his veins. “What’s wrong?!” 

But the look on her face wasn’t fear. It was surprise. Wonder. She froze, pressing against her stomach again. 

“Sunshine?” He asked, standing in front of her and holding her shoulders. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?” 

She was quiet a moment longer before she gasped again and smiled wide. “Eugene, I felt them! I felt them kick! Here!” She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her stomach, watching his face while she bit her lip in anticipation. 

And he felt it. It was a brief, tiny little flutter and he gasped. 

“See!!” She smiled, pressing her fingers next to his hand so they could both feel them. “Hi, baby! I’ve been waiting to feel you!” 

His gaze met her face, watching the excitement and wonder and everything in between flicker across her features. He was excited for the baby, yes. But he was most excited to experience this with Rapunzel. Seeing her so excited meant the absolute world to him. 

So he grabbed her face and kissed her soundly, making her squeak in surprise before she melted into the kiss. 

They sat with their toes in the water a little while later, poking and prodding at her stomach, trying to get their baby to say hi again. When they did, Rapunzel caressed the spot softly, sighing. 

“Hi, baby. We both love you so much.”

~~~~

“Just breath through it, Sunshine. You’ve got this.”

He dabbed at her forehead with a cool washcloth, trying to help in anyway he could. They’d been waiting for this moment for the past few weeks, knowing it could happen at any second. Of course it happened in the middle of the night. 

Rapunzel was being a trooper. She was hurting but she was pushing through it because above all else, she was excited. She’d been waiting to hold their baby for so long and the moment was finally almost here. 

“This definitely isn’t the funnest thing I’ve ever done,” she laughed briefly, relaxing down into the bed as the most recent contraction ended. She tried to take deep breaths and enjoy the quiet before the next one came. They weren’t super far apart anymore. 

Eugene smiled. “Well, it’ll all be worth it once they’re here.”

She beamed up at him. “I can’t wait to see who they look like!! Will they have my nose or yours? My eyes? Oh, I hope they’re a perfect blend of both-”

Another hit, faster this time, and she closed her eyes to work through it like her midwife had told her to. In and out, in and out. Focus on your breath. 

Eugene hated seeing her in pain like this. They knew it would happen but nothing could’ve prepared him to have to just sit there and watch her suffer. Still, though, he was amazed by her strength. She wasn’t even screaming! 

It passed, and she relaxed again, looking up at him with a little bit more pain on her face. “That one was the worst. This is not fun at all but it’ll be worth it, right?” 

“So worth it,” Eugene smiled, kissing her forehead. 

She put her hand on her stomach, taking a deep breath. “We’re almost there, baby. We’ll be able to hold you and kiss you soon! We both love you so much.” 

~~~~~

The wind blew across the field, making him shiver. It wasn’t that cold out, but he found it hard to get warm anymore. 

The sun was starting to set in the distance, the colors painting the sky and it reminded him of one of her paintings. 

Claire dozed in his lap, tired from running around in the grass after they had had dinner. She was just starting to walk and she never wanted to sit down unless she was sleeping. So, for her to be snuggled in his lap the way she was was rare indeed and he considered that a victory for the day.

He brushed his fingers through her hair, leaning back against the stone behind him. He didn’t like reading it. It made his stomach hurt, even years later. 

But he felt close to her here, and he wanted Claire to feel the same, too. 

He looked down at his daughter who was now fast asleep in his lap and sighed softly. “Goodnight, baby. We both love you so much.”


End file.
